Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-11
THE ARSON TRIAL.

THE ARSON TRIAL.
The Testimony i'm IL. Case NJ Mis,
Mcbride and j. w. Mcfarland.
The trial OF Miss Mary J. Mcbride and John H
Mcfarland, on an indictment charging them witt
setting IRE TO house OILS 18th street northwest
was continued yesterday In the Criminal Court
Judge montgomery, after the STARS report closed
Z. hutchinson testified that he knew Mi
McBride; inspected the Eleventh street house
when she rented it, suggested to her how to get ND
water bugs investing it, and for her ordered
gallon OF Danforth tiuid sent to the house This
| got mixed by mistake with coal oil and another
| gallon was supplied
Mrs. Annie E. McArdle testified to seeing Miss
Mcbride aL the house Of the witness ON the morn.
Ing vi lne nIe: they were talking together when
the alarm OF lire was sounded and there was moth.
| ing unusual in Miss McBride's conduct at that
ti M sns !, was entirely natural and composed.
resioing on the west side Of Eleventh street. test
nea that no furniture was brought to their houses
George E. Harris testified that there was SINH.
arity In the Dugan letter to Miss McBrides, but
his opinion was that the letter was not in her
handwriting.
To-DAY's TESTIMONY
This morning John H. Mckee testified that he
| owned house No. SIC, opposite Miss Mcbride at
the time OF the fire; no furniture was moved into
it before the fre
Hattie Helling testified that she went in Miss
McBr1de'S between and 7:30 O'Clock on June 30,
and saw her there; the doors were open and wit
ness saw nothing unusual with Miss Mcbride or
about the house. Witness saw Taylor there
X. Z. Hutchinson testified that it was considered
rubbing and Frightening up the furniture and to
keep down bedbugs. Witness had seen Miss Nc
Bride write great deal. He was shown the Du-
gan letter. and said he did not think it was in her
handwriting.
On cross-examination the witness said he had
been acquainted with Miss Mcbride at the Regis
ter'S Ohice five years ago; saw her frequently at
her room In the CorcOran building. He was friendly
to Miss Mcbride.
pentine would not be too much for q house OF fif-
teen or sixteen rooms.
BY Mr.: Worthington-The price Of coal-oil was
ten or fifteen cents per gallon.
MI. W0rtnngton-"We can figure how much
Wash. B. Williams testified that at the request
OF Mr.. Cook he had had some faded mating oiled,
and it frightened the colOrs.
The question being raised as to whether it would
burn, the experiment was made and it did not take
charles Neal testified that he was in the house in
June last discovered no odOrs.
w. b. Williams was recalled and testified that
the furniture found at 1904 L street was worth
about $50; that belonging to him.
J. L. Lake testified that he was clerk In the War
Department; had known Miss Mcbride since about
1873 when she was in the attorney generals Of
flee at Jackson; knew her handwriting. Witness
sne ga Of Sae '1
writing, II not hers, but he did not believe that
she wrote 1t.
BY Mr.. Observation-Disclosures was acquainted
with Mr.. Cunningham and when sheriff OF Kinds
County witness employed him as q detective.
julius Lansburgh testified that he had sold Miss
Mcbride about $3.50 worth Of furniture, about 4
years ago, and it was delivered al her house.
After recess Joseph +. Page testified that Miss
Mcbride was customer at his grocery store 1918
street; that she purchased oil from him gener-
orally In five gallon cans and he produced can.
1t was 10 use with the stove.
Thomas Egan testified that he was in charge OF
an office or store In SIG Eleventh street, and was
quite sure that no furniture was removed TO the
store in May and June.
Mrs. Merrman was recalled and asked to correct
her statement by stating that she did not sprinkle
the powder down stairs, but that Miss Mcbride
told the cOlOred people to do that.
On crOss-examination witness denied that she
was at the Police Court on the day OF the prelim-
mary hearing. declaring that Mcfarland did 1t
all. Witnesses first husband was Mcdonald.
MISS M'BR1DE TESTIFIED
that she now lived at 4O2 9th street; that she
came here In 1877; had been principally employed
in the Departments; was transferred to the Pen
rented the building 5l3 18th street and lived there
from November, 1885, to June 30 SO; found it in
bad sanitary order and nnceah The d shed
the house some OF the pipes leaked.
She Complained to the landlord few Gays after
ward, and soon Mr. Hannan came with workmen
over a month, and she asked the landlady to re-
duce the rent, and she made an allowance OF $40.
Witness then contented herself by renting
her rooms. The people in the basement were her
sub-tenantS; witness atterward found them on
18th street. and saw that they had some things
which belonged to her. When she saw only the
sideboard carpet and chairs In the Kitchen she came
TO the conclusion that the caterers had taken them
away, aud she made demand OF them for the
thfngR but never got them. Witness purchased
and other furniture from Mr.. Williams
about 1928 from the former and $500 from
from different parties. She was under obn-
cations to insure and did so; she asked the in
came. but did not 60 to the third story; he ap-
praised the property at $500, and she asked and
obtained policy for g OOo, for she had some Dor
reau and washstand to be repaired, and she
had repeatedly asked Mcfarland about it,
who said that be had sent 1t to be repaired: Sub
sequently she found these at COoltdge's. She had
had also set OF furniture she had borrowed from
Mcfarland, and he saying that his wife wanted it
returned, she told him to take it. This was In the
house in the room on the upper floor, and this
was partly burned. After the fire witness went to
McFarlands house; found some stair carpet, mat
tn SsPsan S to lamps Move These se she stn
room, and thought that they were there,
AT 1904 L street, she found a trunk, pillows,
sack S With Pill @ Sheets DapSns &C. swift VII
ness did not then see any Of the furniture belong
Ing to Mr.. Williams. Did not authorize any Of the
luTnltuTc W Dc uOI Stllu tnc tTuLk
away by Mcfarland, nor send him to Alexandria
OF any business. Witness attempted to
clean the house with concentrated I've and hot
water. and afterwards used DanfOrth'S fluid;
got Mcfarland to go all over the house with hard
finish and used also insect powder. She was con-
tinuouslyc the house, especially Sundays
She used camphOr but no rOain for moths and
bed bugs. She bought two pounds OF camphor at
WertZ, and had him pulverize 1t. She kept her
Oil can 1--WE gallons) nearly full, and thinks that
she last got oil five or six weeks before the fire.
She supposed that the Oil stove was in the
store room, but found 1t in the L street house.
Witness told Col. Tracy TO give Mcfarland $3.50
81 for his wife, $3.50 for himself and the balance
for the oil. Witness had directed Mcfarland to
stain the mating, which had become faded, and
finding the stain would come of she had the mat
ting oiled and hard finished. Witness knew OF the
hole In the rear room, near the Dashboard never
put anything In 1t.
A WRIT OF DE LUNATIco INQUIRENDo.-Mr. Jo-
Seph ShllingtOn, jr, to-day, for the District Com
mssoners, filed petition for writ OF de lunaticO
inquirendO, for issue in the case OF Marion Gill
WOipOrt, OF 1131 Park Place northeast. The
petition sets forth that she claims to be an au-
thOress, that for two years past she has been sub
ject TO Authorizations OF some persons attacking
her and threatening to kill her and has written
letters to various public men which indicate that
she Is not OF sound mind.